A few days later, in an unprecedented move, Lady Chang stepped out of the Ping Prince's Mansion. The servants exchanged bewildered glances, but none dared to stop her outright, quickly rushing to report the matter to Shen Hua'er.
"Madam Consort, where are you headed?" asked the coachman outside the mansion, bowing slightly.
"Yesterday, I noticed Ling’s hairpin looked worn. I’d like to visit the Rouge Pavilion—their pieces are the most exquisite."
The Rouge Pavilion happened to be an establishment under the Qin Prince's Mansion.
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped outside the Rouge Pavilion. With the support of her maidservant, Lady Chang entered the shop.
Before she could even begin browsing, she heard Shen Hua'er’s slightly breathless voice:
"Madam Consort, you came to visit a cosmetics shop without inviting me?"
"The Princess Consort is quite well-informed."
Lady Chang glanced toward the inner courtyard, then hastily selected a few hairpins before leaving the Rouge Pavilion.
The moment she returned to the mansion, Song Yanzheng arrived at Li Garden.
"Mother, you actually took the leisure to visit a cosmetics shop today," Song Yanzheng remarked, his eyes filled with probing suspicion. "Our Ping Prince's Mansion has its own cosmetics shops—you could have chosen anything there."
"Some things can only be found at the Rouge Pavilion."
Lady Chang fixed her gaze on Song Yanzheng, her stare so intense that he found it difficult to meet her eyes.
"As long as Mother found something you liked."
Song Yanzheng couldn’t shake the feeling that Lady Chang was acting strangely today. Normally, she regarded him with indifference, but today... her demeanor sent chills down his spine.
His eyes flickered to the almond milk on the table, and the discomfort in his heart eased slightly.
At least she’s still drinking almond milk every day.
Then, Lady Chang spoke slowly, "Yanzheng, you used to love the almond milk I made for you. It’s been a long time since I last prepared it for you. Try this bowl."
Instantly, Song Yanzheng’s expression stiffened.
"Mother, my stomach has been unsettled lately. I can’t drink almond milk."
Seeing his immediate refusal, a surge of hatred flashed in Lady Chang’s eyes, though she forced a smile.
"Then it seems you have no fortune to enjoy it."
......
Meanwhile, after Lady Chang’s departure, a shop assistant at the Rouge Pavilion discovered a carefully folded note inside one of the jewelry boxes she had examined. He hurriedly called for the steward.
"Aside from the Ping Prince’s Madam Consort, who else has seen this hairpin today?" the steward asked gravely.
"N-no one else..."
"This is too urgent to delay. I must deliver this letter to Third Master immediately."
Wiping sweat from his brow, the steward realized that with the Prince and Princess away from the capital, the only person he could trust was Third Master.
An hour later, Shen Qingping received the note. Upon unfolding it, even someone as ruthless as himself couldn’t suppress a flicker of shock.
The handwriting was slightly distorted, but the words were clear:
"The death of the Ping Prince may be suspicious—consider poisoning.
If you ask why I suspect this, it’s because I, too, have been poisoned."
These two short sentences left Shen Qingping stunned for a long moment before he cursed under his breath.
"Third Master, what should we do about this note...?" the steward asked hesitantly.
"I’ll send word to the Prince and Princess immediately. As for the contents of the note, I’ll begin investigating at once."
"Thank you, Third Master."
By the time the steward left, night had already fallen.
Shen Qingping, still wrapped in his cloak due to his poor constitution, stood alone beneath the eaves, as still as a painting.
Only the jade stone in his hand rolled ceaselessly between his fingers.
Song Ling’s health had taken a turn for the worse shortly after Shen Hua'er married into the Ping Prince's Mansion.
If Song Ling had indeed been poisoned... then the most likely culprit was Shen Hua'er.
With this thought, Shen Qingping lifted his gaze to the darkened sky.
Night has fallen. The Shen family will perish.
The next day, at Li Garden.
"Madam Consort, someone from the Rouge Pavilion has come to deliver the season’s newest hair ornaments and fabric."
At the maidservant’s words, Lady Chang paused while holding Ah Shun.
The steward arrived personally, followed by attendants carrying the items. "Yesterday, Third Master heard of your visit to the Rouge Pavilion and scolded us for our impropriety in accepting your payment. He insisted we bring you the latest hair ornaments and fabrics as an apology."
"This jewelry box was also personally selected by Third Master."
The steward emphasized the words "jewelry box," and Lady Chang immediately understood.
"Your Third Master is...?"
"Madam Consort, it is Young Master Shen."
The steward bowed even lower. "Third Master also said that if you wish to browse in the future, simply notify him in advance, and he will personally receive you at the Rouge Pavilion."
"Young Master Shen is too kind."
Lady Chang’s anxious heart finally settled. It seemed Shen Qingping had found her note.
Thinking of his fox-like cunning, she smiled genuinely.
......
While Shen Qingping’s letter was still en route, Song Yu had already become swamped with work, even sleeping in his study.
One day, Ling Ming and Zheng Fang came to visit.
The top three scholars of the Ji'an Prefecture examinations were reunited.
"Ah!"
Three synchronized sighs made Liuxi, who had been sneaking toward the door, freeze mid-step before hastily retreating.
Danger! This is no place to linger.
Zheng Fang, usually refined and composed, was flushed with frustration. "Brothers, should we consult a Taoist priest? Perhaps Ji'an Prefecture has offended some higher power."
Even the typically mild-mannered Ling Ming couldn’t help pounding the table.
"It feels like the authorities are deliberately making things difficult for us. Did one of our examinees offend someone influential?"
Song Yu’s eyes flickered with guilt.
"Y-yes, it’s very strange."
"Brother Guo, Ling Ming and I plan to leave for Yong’an Prefecture the day after tomorrow to settle in an inn and focus on exam preparations. Will you join us?"
Zheng Fang sighed. "Now that the chief examiner has been decided, there’s even more to review."
"I’ll go with you. It’ll save me the last-minute rush and distractions."
After a moment’s thought, Song Yu agreed.
"Then we’ll meet early the day after tomorrow."
After parting with Ling Ming and Zheng Fang, Song Yu’s resentment toward Ye Shijie unexpectedly lessened, and his mood improved.
"Ah Huan, sometimes when you realize others are suffering just as much as you, suddenly... it doesn’t feel so bad anymore."
Song Shihuan gave him a helpless look.
If they were to trace it back, weren’t Ling Ming and Zheng Fang also victims of Father’s schemes?
The more Song Yu thought about it, the more comforted he felt, even beginning to marvel at Ye Shijie’s infamy.
"That Ye Shijie’s tyranny is truly feared by all—I’m not the only one."
Just as Song Yu was chuckling to himself, Shen Qingping’s letter arrived.
"Shen Qingping wrote to me?"
Song Yu’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. Could there be another twist?
